


Frenetic For You

by FrozenMarVel



Category: Kamen Rider W
Genre: 5+1 Things, Canon Compliant, M/M, Oblivious Philip, Philip is thirsty, Post-Canon, Shoutaro does not make it easy, Sweet, UST, a few medical conditions are named in this fic, because Philip went on a research overdrive, painfully so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-04
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22551661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenMarVel/pseuds/FrozenMarVel
Summary: Philip could feel his body losing control. The symptoms weren’t new but the cause was still unclear. Why would seeing Shoutaro half-naked send his heart racing?Or, five times Philip is wrong about the cause of his symptoms and one time Shoutaro helps him get it right.
Relationships: Hidari Shoutarou/Philip
Comments: 13
Kudos: 60





	Frenetic For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [narashikari](https://archiveofourown.org/users/narashikari/gifts).



> This is a sweet one-shot I thought of a while ago and decided to finish for narashikari's birthday.
> 
> Philip thirsting for Shoutaro is Kari thirsting for Renn.
> 
> Happy belated birthday Kari!
> 
> This is for you, who got me into W. I will forever love you for it.
> 
> EDIT 02/04/20: This tumblr posts also helped: [One](https://askrikkaiandhyotei.tumblr.com/post/190364566691/silverwind-some-previews-from-kiriyama-renns) and [Two](https://askrikkaiandhyotei.tumblr.com/post/190364568056/silverwind-i-think-i-need-kiriyama-renns-new)

**1\. Anxiety Attack**

Philip tapped his chin lightly, lost in thought. Why was he here again?

As always, his thoughts were going a mile a minute that he often forgot what he was doing in the first place. At least, that usually happened when he wasn’t knee-deep in another research breakthrough. He rolled his eyes, huffing at his own absentmindedness, and decided to check on his partner.

Might as well. He was already half-way up the stairs going to the private rooms.

He vaguely remembered wanting to ask Shoutaro something. Or was it tell him something? His partner had just come back from solving a simple case. He was probably relaxing in his room, maybe taking a shower.

Philip didn’t go upstairs most of the time. He preferred to fall asleep in the garage base or the bed in the office. Both of which were open spaces with no real doors. So, he was prepared to barge into Shoutaro’s bedroom when- 

Philip stopped mid-stride.

Skin. Naked skin. Sculpted, toned, _tanned, naked skin._

Right in front of him. Belonging to Shoutaro. Clearly showing through his open shirt, which was barely hanging from his shoulders.

Philip let his eyes rove downwards, absently noting the unfastened button in Shoutaro’s pants and how it showed the elastic of his underwear framing the skin below his navel. Said pants hung low, barely hugging his partner’s hips and trying valiantly to not drop to the floor. ~~Please drop to the floor~~.

Philip brought his gaze back up, detailing the defined abs on the way to the haphazard tie hanging from a strong neck. Which Shoutaro was in the middle of taking off. By hooking a finger and sliding the knot off. ~~He wanted to hook his fingers around said neck and slide them down that chest .~~

He didn’t think Shoutaro had noticed him. His partner was usually very proper and insistent on privacy. So much so, that Philip believed this to be the first time in their long venture as partners that he saw the half ~~_hard_~~ boiled detective showing so much skin.

Also, his throat was dry. Was it dry? How strange, he tried to swallow but the back of his throat clicked. And what was that raspy sound? Oh, that was Philip’s breathing. It was loud.

His heart rate was accelerated. His hands felt clammy. He was slightly gasping for breath. His eyes were dry from the effort of not blinking. Why wasn’t he blinking?

Oh. His breathing was loud because he was doing it through his mouth. Which was open. He consciously closed it, hearing his teeth clink. His lips felt chapped so he licked them.

And suddenly, his mind was focused again on Shoutaro and all the skin he was showing. While he was changing. Which was logical because he’d just returned from a case. And those well formed, chiseled abs were evidence of Shoutaro’s hard work. To stay in shape. By doing physical exercise. Solving cases.

Back to the naked chest and licking. Which somehow Philip’s mind jumped to after moistening his chapped lips. Licking. What an interesting idea. He wondered what tracing those muscles with his tongue would feel like, taste like. Dipping into the defined lines with the tip of his tongue, caressing the skin slowly and making a trail going up ~~or going down~~.

Would it tickle? Most likely. The tip of the tongue was a sensitive part of said muscle. Unlike the skin of the abdominal muscles, which took effort, like say following the path of his tongue with his fingertips. To heighten sensation.

Although some people were more sensitive than others, in different areas. Take the nipples, for example. Sometimes they were, sometimes they weren’t. In both male and female bodies. What would it take to discover whether someone was sensitive there? Stimulation of course. Would the tongue be enough to test that?

Now his tongue felt kind of itchy, like the rest of his body. Which felt wired and ready to

“PHILIP!”

Philip blinked, clashing his gaze to that of his partner’s who seemed very concerned. And suddenly very close.

“Yes, Shoutaro?”

“I’ve been calling you for the past minute,” Shoutaro griped, while frowning heavily in worry. “Are you alright?”

Philip hummed thoughtfully as he took stock of the situation. The symptoms were still there, lessened now that he was out of his busy mind - he noted circling thoughts as another indicator -. He returned Shoutaro’s concerned stare with a befuddled look and shrugged.

“I’m not too sure. I have to investigate first.”

Without even giving a chance to Shoutaro to say anything, Philip turned around and headed to the garage, leaving his partner to scramble after him.

He had some research to do.

* * *

**2\. Arrhythmia**

“Did you know that an anxiety attack causes accelerated heart rate and breathing? It may also feel like you can’t catch your breath. And it leads to circling thoughts! Basically, repetitive notions on the initial cause of the attack. Hmm, yet somehow it doesn’t seem to fit quite right…”

“ _Philip_ , a little help here! You can tell me about your new research obsession, _after_ we get this guy!”

Philip sighed, as he heard Shoutaro mentally curse about running behind. He really hadn’t had enough time to research. Shortly after that confusing episode with his partner in the upstairs room, a dopant started wreaking havoc downtown.

Adjusting the drive belt around his waist, he focused on the task at hand.

Philip frowned in thought as Shoutaro described his observations, leisurely walking through the Gaia library in search of the identity of their foe. Dopant attacks had lessened significantly since Philip’s death, the fall of the Sonozaki and Wakana’s sacrifice. According to their investigations on the matter, Foundation X had discarded the Gaia Memory research. That left only the memories originally distributed to Museum’s representatives who had either given them away during their escape, or continued selling them for personal profit. Terui Ryu led the task force in charge of rounding up those individuals.

Regardless, not many people took up the offer of superhuman abilities by way of Memories nowadays. That had been a fortunate thing because it meant Shoutaro didn’t have to personally deal with many of those situations without him.

It hadn’t made it easier for him to deal with Philip being gone, but it hadn’t made it worse either.

Rubbing his chest absently at the slight twinge the memory of his partner alone without him caused, Philip paused over a shelf with Romantic Love and Sexual Attraction displayed beside each other. Philip blinked, tilted his head in thought for a moment then continued on his way.

Why those were exhibited prominently, only Gaia knew. Still, Philip had a dopant to identify.

Suddenly, he snapped his head around, eyes wide. “Shoutaro?!”

His partner had been attacked with a torrent of _something_ , coming from the dopant’s hose-like arm. Shoutaro had yelped and tried to dodge, but the gooey substance caught him.

The intense worry for his partner caused his heart to squeeze painfully. Philip left the Library, turning in place to find Akiko crouched near a wall. Out of nowhere, rapid fire burst in the direction of the dopant as Accel appeared to distract it.

Philip ran to his downed partner and found him trying to remove the gooey liquid.

“Yuck!” Akiko muttered, opting to stay farther away.

“Not the time, Akiko!”

“Are you alright, Shoutaro?” Philip interrupted.

“I’m _fine-ngggh_! What the-?”

Shoutaro started sizzling as smoke came off his shirt. Before their eyes, the fabric started dissolving. 

“Oh! It seems to be eating your shirt.”

“Don’t sound so curious, I can’t go around melting!”

But the liquid appeared to have no effect over skin. Fortunately. Philip tested it by poking some with his finger, but he got no reaction. Shoutaro’s shirt was soon in tatters but, strangely, his pants remained whole.

“Why wouldn’t it eat my pants? Or my vest?”

“They’re 100% cotton, but your shirt is synthetic made flannel. Perhaps this dopant has preferences?”

“Thankfully, my man wears leather.” Akiko paused, then- “For god’s sake, Shoutaro, cover yourself!” Her yell came out muffled, since she was covering her eyes in embarrassment.

Still, Akiko’s exclamation brought Philip’s attention to his partner's chest. Which was once again naked. But this time, it had the added effect of glistening skin, probably from the goo.

Philip could swear his heart skipped a beat, as his fingers unconsciously stroked over one of Shoutaro’s pecs. Gently tracing a line, he noted that the skin was warm and sticky. Philip’s heart went into overdrive. With eyes glued to that chest, he heard the rapid thumping in his ears as he chanced another touch-

“Are you still testing this thing? And how do you even know what my clothes are made of?”

Philip inhaled sharply, his mind snapping back into focus. He blinked at Shoutaro’s face, close to his own, and took awhile to process the questions. His tongue felt like it was stuffed with cotton.

“Arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm condition where irregular beating causes pain and / or breathlessness.” Oh, and Philip was _breathless_.

“Uh?”

“Also, I classified all your clothes by fabric. Did you know you wear them in a not actually random order? It was fascinating to discover.”

Shoutaro sighed, probably done with the conversation.

“Help me up. Terui should be done. And lend me your coat, I don’t want the whole world to see me like this.”

* * *

**3\. Premenstrual syndrome or menopause**

Akiko thought it would be nice to take a break from the office. She was probably using it as an excuse to get Terui Ryu out on vacation, since the man was a workaholic, but she did have a point. With the previous day’s goo fiasco, Shoutaro had been on a short fuse lately.

So, they headed to the beach.

Philip continued making mental notes on the symptoms that had plagued him around his partner the last few days. As usual, the team left him to his research. At least, that was the case until they parked at their destination.

Shoutaro grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the water. Philip tried to get his hand free half-heartedly, laughing all the way. Their married friends brought up the rear, setting up their umbrellas and chairs. Akiko laid down a giant blanket and fastidiously straightened until the corners were just _so_.

Terui Ryu took out their refreshments.

Shoutaro splashed water his way and Philip retaliated, but before an actual war could get started, Akiko called them back.

The place they settled in was a small private beach owned by one of Terui Ryu’s workmates. They were the only ones there, which made it more enjoyable.

After they ate a bit, Shoutaro and Akiko stepped out of the shade to play beach volleyball, Terui Ryu laid down to sun himself, and Philip sat cross legged in the sand to indulge in some research.

A half hour passed quietly and the day promised to be languid. The ocean breeze felt nice and cool, and the sand was pleasantly warm. Philip was drowsy and ready to succumb, when a shriek woke him up abruptly. Suddenly, both him and Terui were standing up and looking for their companions.

In the distance, the shape of Akiko could be seen, leaning on her knees and laughing boisterously. Terui sighed and relaxed. Philip, however, strained his eyes searching for Shoutaro, who spluttered out of the water, completely soaked and scolding harshly at the now hiccuping Akiko.

Shoutaro wrung the tail of his white shirt, squeezing out the excess water, then stomped back into the beach proper.

Philip’s breath hitched as the world slowed.

He hadn’t really noticed their attire. Everyone in their group was rather conservative, so they all wore shirts and loose pants, with Akiko choosing a one piece suit in a flattering color. They were not there to show off, they were there to have fun.

Fun.

Yet, here was Shoutaro, in the same clothes he arrived in except **He. Was. Soaking. Wet**.

Water poured down the line of his body. His _white_ shirt stuck ~~deliciously~~ to his body and left nothing to the imagination.

How curious. Philip had already seen twice, in the past couple of days, his partner’s naked chest. But, somehow, seeing that piece of fabric clinging so tightly to the tanned skin made it a more enticing image.

All at once, Philip felt his world go off-kilter and dizziness hit him. His whole face grew warm, flushed, and it quickly spread down his neck.

Was this what a hot flash felt like?

Shoutaro, oblivious to the effect he had on his partner, rubbed a hand absently down his front before he unbuttoned half the shirt.

Philip staggered, tripping on the back step and almost falling if not for a firm grip on his arm.

“Are you alright, Philip?” Terui’s voice came from far away.

...

“Philip?!”

Just like that, Shoutaro’s face floated above him. Philip blinked awake, staring at his partner from his place in the blanket. Akiko and Terui stood nearby, exchanging worried looks.

Philip opened his mouth and-

“Premenstrual syndrome is characterized by lightheadedness, tiredness and sudden increases in body temperature known as hot flashes. It also has plenty other symptoms, but I don’t think any of those apply to a man.” Philip paused, thought about it, and continued. “Do they? And what about menopause? That may cause fainting spells too.”

Shoutaro exhaled with his whole body, his hand grabbing a handful of Philip’s hair as he pressed their foreheads together.

“You scared the heck out of me, partner. Don’t do that again.”

“I’m sorry.” Philip responded softly. While Shoutaro’s eyes remained closed, Philip studied his face intently.

They breathed each other’s air for a long moment, until their quiet bubble was interrupted by Terui’s question: “Did he just say he had PMS?”

Another pause. Shoutaro’s eyes snapped open, and Philip felt a shiver of dread travel down his spine.

Akiko, the only female in their group, vibrated in place. Her face went through a myriad of expressions before settling on indignation. 

“ _PHILIIIIIIP_!”

Her loud yell echoed as she threw herself bodily at the pair.

* * *

**4\. Drugs or Hallucinogens**

The dopant attack was especially vicious that day.

A bitter divorcee seeking revenge on her ex.

Granted, the man was a stain on society, what with all the cheating and sleazy dealings. But it was sad how this one decision would lose this woman her freedom. Emotions were powerful motivators any given day, but particularly so when they were negative and combined with personal offenses.

Philip sighed, rubbing his face harshly.

Clattering from the other side of the garage door, leading to the office, signaled the arrival of his friends. He had chosen to stay back this time, mostly because the day had started with simple missing animal cases. Unfortunately, it later devolved into a dopant situation.

Shoutaro would not wait for him, so they transformed with Philip still in the garage. It wasn’t anything new, they had done it this way plenty of times, but…

Philip had made it a point, after he came back to life, to confront darkness right beside his partner.

He walked into the office to find Shoutaro leaning heavily on Terui’s shoulder. He had gotten hurt, seemingly bad, in the recent fight. He was feeling fine, if his protests to the contrary meant anything, but Akiko was having none of it.

“I told you, I’m fine! No need to _fuss_.”

“I will _fuss_ , if I want. Who are you to tell me not to _fuss_! Even Ryu knows better than to say that to me!”

Terui’s ‘It’s true’ comment was lost in the squabble from the pair that couldn’t be more siblings if they shared actual blood between them.

Philip pursed his lips, frowned, huffed in discontent then stomped his feet in anger.

Despite the quietness of his actions, the squabble stopped abruptly and all three figures turned towards him. Philip had eyes only for his partner.

“Shoutaro, please take a seat in the bed.”

“Philip, I-.”

“ **Sit** , Shoutaro.”

Not one to ignore that tone, considering his experiences having a wife, Terui walked the few feet to the bed and all but threw his friend there. Shoutaru hissed, either in pain or indignation, but Terui simply ignored him, took his wife by the hand and led her out.

“What are you doing? I don’t want to go! I need to treat-!”

Akiko’s protests grew muffled after the main door closed. Philip took a deep breath in the sudden privacy, then went to sit beside his partner.

“Where are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, Phil-.”

“Shoutaro, _please_ , where are you hurt?”

Shoutaro held on for a couple more seconds before sighing in defeat. He took off his hat, moved his arm gingerly and let Philip see his side. A big blood stain had grown under his right arm, soaking his shirt.

“It’s stopped bleeding.”

“I will be the judge of that. Take off your shirt.”

“Nghh, don’t say that with a straight face!”

“Should I say it with tears in my eyes?”

Shoutaro swayed towards him, eyes wide. “Don’t, I-I really am fine. I promise it wasn’t on purpose, I tried to dodge!”

Philip exhaled heavily but nodded in acceptance. He stood up to look for the first aid kit and when he returned Shoutaro was wincing with each movement of his arm, but at least his torso was free of fabric.

Silently, Philip got to work. He cleaned the wound, as gently as possible, then used antiseptic and prepared to stitch it. It wasn’t life threatening, but it was big enough to need more than simple adhesive. Once done, he unrolled the gauze and prepared to bandage Shoutaro’s entire stomach when said man grabbed his hand to still it.

Philip hadn’t even noticed his own hands were trembling.

“I’m sorry I worried you,” murmured Shoutaro, entreating.

“I hate it that I wasn’t there with you.”

“I’m glad you weren’t. It could have easily been you.”

“That doesn’t make it better. I’d rather it hadn’t been anyone!”

Slowly, Shoutaro raised his arm again to hook it around Philip’s shoulders. Bringing him close, he buried his nose into silky black locks, as Philip’s own nose was pushed to the crook of Shoutaro’s neck. They breathed in sync for a few minutes, Philip’s mind losing its hold on the memories of the fight for the more pleasant one of hugging Shoutaro. 

He retreated, tracing the tip of his nose lightly over Shoutaro’s jawline.

“Are we ok?” Shoutaro asked, anxiously, after letting him go reluctantly.

“We’ll be better once you are healed. Now let me finish bandaging you.”

“Yes, dear.” Both of them froze, as Shoutaro’s automatic response echoed between them. Philip waited for him to retract it, but nothing else was said. So, he let the words wash over him and a small blush settled on his cheeks.

Purposely, his fingertips traced his partners abs more than necessary while he rolled the gauze around his waist. Philip felt heady as his breathing grew harsher and a pool of heat gathered at the pit of his stomach. He was focused extremely hard on his task, biting his lip while adjusting the bandage. Shoutaro didn’t say anything, nor did he move, letting him do as he pleased.

Philip swallowed hard. His senses were strangely sharpened and fixed on his partner.

“Philip?” Shoutaro called, voice low and hoarse.

The warmth on his belly grew to an inferno. Slowly, he raised his eyes to catch Shoutaro’s, who had apparently been looking intently at him the whole time.

Hm, there was that dizziness again from the weekend.

His lips formed the shape of a ‘yes?’, ready to both answer Shoutaro and let him say his piece. The fluttering of his heart drowned all other sounds, however, and he suddenly found himself saying:

“I feel drugged.”

…

“EH?!”

“I mean, the symptoms also match those of the hallucinogen drugs currently circulating.” Philip paused. “It’s like a potent and exhilarating intoxication? Well, as much as I can tell without ever being inebriated. Have you ever been drunk? Can you describe being high?”

Shoutaro’s eyebrows climbed higher the more words spilled from Philip. The dizziness seemed to have affected him too, since his face grew pale and his eyes turned hazy. Oh, that may also be the blood loss. Perhaps Philip should finish the treatment.

Doing so, he asked “Are you sure you’re alright?” while tucking Shoutaro in bed. His partner nodded, arm swung over his face, so Philip decided to let him rest. 

Besides, he really needed to review his findings. This body of his was going out of control.

* * *

**5\. Heart Attack**

Philip closed his eyes and delved into the library of the world.

Thousands, millions, uncountable shelves surrounded him, holding the promise of answers to his most frustrating dilemma.

He tapped his chin thoughtfully and perused the nearby tomes.

There must be something he was missing.

Unlike the time his memories had been sealed, he knew the whole of history was available to him now. Why, then, was this proving so hard? It felt like Gaia was laughing at him, keeping the knowledge away by mere inches. It may even be that she had shown him the answers before, taunting, but was currently keeping them from him.

Philip stopped at that thought.

Something niggled at the back of his mind. He reached for it, but the widespread space around him faltered a second before his eyes opened and he found himself back at the base.

He blinked, adjusting to reality, and tried to figure out what had pulled him back.

A loud knock reverberated.

Ah, someone was at the office door. Curiously, he peeked out of the garage door, but found the main office empty. Shoutaro must be somewhere, doing something, so it was up to him to socialize. Philip sighed.

It was a delivery man. Philip paid the appropriate amount and took the bags of food from him. He placed them on the table, then opened one to glance at what it held.

A delicious aroma permeated the air as an assortment of his favorites were revealed. Philip’s lips formed an ‘o’. Shoutaro must have ordered these. Was he forgetting some sort of celebration, holiday or anniversary?

Humming under his breath, he remembered that his partner had been especially solicitous after he had gotten very hurt in that attack. Philip had been extremely worried and Shoutaro hated being the cause.

Philip’s head cocked to the side in thought. Shoutaro hadn’t come to answer the door even though he clearly ordered the take out. He wasn’t in the office, obviously, and he hadn’t been in the garage since Philip just came from there. Which meant that Shoutaro must be upstairs entertained with something.

Philip stood up to go, but then hesitated.

The last time he had been in Shoutaro’s room, his whole symptoms mystery started. It wasn’t Shoutaro’s fault, of course, but Philip still feared feeling new indicators or failing once again to identify his ailment. The distraction of this puzzle was nagging at him, and causing him troubles in his everyday tasks. Shoutaro was even sending him weird looks he couldn’t identify.

Philip took a deep breath.

He was being ridiculous and he knew it. He shook it off and headed for the upstairs area.

“Shoutaro? The food is here! Should I prepare the plates? Are we expecting Akiko and Terui?”

There was no response, which was curious. Philip entered the room and saw no signs of his partner. He walked inside just to peek in the closet but there was no one. He was about to leave to search somewhere else, when the door to the bathroom opened at his back.

A sense of foreboding swept over him, before he decided to turn around.

_Good Gaia._

If Philip thought he felt faint at the sight of his partner on a wet white shirt, it was nothing compared to seeing him emerge from the shower dripping everywhere. 

With. Only. A. Towel. Barely. Hanging. From. His. Hips.

Did someone turn the heater on? No, Philip was relatively sure that was him feeling overheated. He bit his lips while his eyes traveled from tousled, damp curls, down the same route the water droplets took on his partner’s ~~gloriously naked~~ body. The trail leading from his navel to under the towel was especially attractive.

He tried to swallow over the rock lodged in his throat.

His hands shook.

His breathing grew labored.

Philip could feel his body losing control. The symptoms weren’t new but the cause was still unclear. Why would seeing Shoutaro half-naked send his heart racing?

“Philip?”

He squeaked in response. The sound of his partner’s voice sent his heart thundering.

“Philip, are you ok?”

He staggered back, feeling dizzy and energized in equal measure. He couldn’t even blink. He didn’t want to blink.

“I-I-I don’t _know_ …” Philip whispered, dazed, overwhelmed.

He was both enraptured by the sight before him and caught in a fight or flight urge.

Shoutaro, whose face Philip finally managed to see after tearing his eyes away from the distracting - delightful? lovely? - view of his chest, had a deeply concerned expression on. He reached out to Philip, intent on grabbing his arm, maybe to support his suddenly unstable legs, and-

Philip just whimpered, turned tail and ran.

Leaving a gaping Shoutaro behind.

* * *

**+1. Shoutaro**

“Philip, wait!”

Philip felt like he was hyperventilating. 

He rushed out of the room, reached the hallway, decided to go hide in the garage and was then suddenly pulled back by the hand that had grasped his wrist firmly.

He squeezed his eyes shut, breathing harshly through his nose, as he let his partner - the man he trusted most in the world - turn him around.

“Philip, _that’s it_ , you have to tell me what’s wrong.”

“N-Nothing.”

“ **Bullshit**! These past couple of weeks you’ve been acting weird, you’ve been on a research binge you can’t seem to complete, and you’ve fainted! For god’s sake!”

Philip kept his mouth closed so hard, his jaw started hurting.

“ _Please_ , aibou, tell me what’s wrong?”

Philip deflated, walking into the open arms of his partner and settling in his embrace. He hid his face on his shoulder, careful to keep his thoughts away from the warm skin under his hands. Shoutaro held him close, resting his chin on Philip’s head.

Philip felt his heart rate return to normal and sighed.

“I felt like I was having a heart attack.”

“ _What_.”

“But I guess not.”

“Alright… explain it to me.”

“That day I stumbled on you changing your clothes, I started having these… symptoms.”

“Symptoms?” Shoutaro’s voice went from alarmed to curious.

“Breathlessness, dizziness, itchiness, feeling flushed all over and,” He paused.

“And?” Shoutaro’s tone was now coaxing.

“And my heart raced so hard it _hurt_ , like it wanted out of my chest.”

“... and you felt this after seeing me?” Shoutaro sounded weird.

“Well, after seeing you half-naked. I don’t think I’d ever seen you like that before, barring extreme cases where you were severely hurt.”

Philip heard Shoutaro gulp. His arms lowered from Philip’s shoulders to the small of his back. They tightened their hold.

“Is that what you’ve been researching? The symptoms?”

“The cause, actually. Unfortunately, several medical conditions match a number of the indicators, but none seemed to fit. I don’t know what’s wrong!”

His weeks’ long frustration seemed insignificant in that hallway and the intimate bubble they found themselves in.

He still pouted. Philip didn’t like not knowing things.

“Have you tried using my name as a keyword?”

Philip blinked. He raised his head to look directly into Shoutaro’s intense gaze.

The moment lasted an indeterminate amount of time, before his eyes lit up in delight.

“That’s a wonderful idea!”

“No, wait-!”

But Philip had already closed his eyes to summon Gaia’s library. Entering ‘Shoutaro’ into the list he had saved, he performed a look up.

And was blown away by the results.

…

When he opened his eyes, he found Shoutaro patiently waiting for him. He had moved them to the small sofa chair in his room. Philip was now perched sideways on his lap. Which was still covered only by a towel. He saved that thought - and image - for later.

“Well?” Shoutaro asked, both calm and eager.

Philip just stared at him in wonder.

“Philip?”

“ _I love you_.”

Shoutaro choked.

“That’s why I was having those reactions. I’m really attracted to you!”

Philip’s excitement was promptly overcome by amusement at seeing Shoutaro blushing. Feeling mischievous, Philip placed a hand on his partner’s chest and gently caressed the skin. He was quickly distracted by the firmness and warmth of the muscles.

Shoutaro grabbed his wandering hand and squeezed it, clearing his throat.

“For the record, I love you too _aibou_.”

Philip felt his cheeks strain from the smile that bloomed on his lips.

“Now that you know what your symptoms were about, will you stop acting crazy?”

“Perhaps. I don’t know. You were the catalyst, after all, and you are never going away are you?”

“ _Never._ ”

Philip giggled. “I was wondering, though, those symptoms always felt like the start of something. Where would they lead to if I let them play out?”

“Ah, well,” A familiar pool of heat gathered in his belly from the heated look Shoutaro sent him. “Let me help you figure that out…”

Warm hands came up to cradle Philip’s cheeks tenderly. Sweeping his thumbs in a barely there caress, Shoutaro led him down, slowly, towards himself. The tips of their noses touched, brushing each other gently. Philip sighed, blinking slightly and feeling his lashes flutter against Shoutaro’s with how close they were.

Holding his breath, afraid to ruin the moment, Philip simply followed where Shoutaro led.

Their lips touched and a tingle coursed down Philip’s spine in response. He couldn’t help giggling breathlessly. Shoutaro retreated an inch and looked at him with a question in his eyes.

Philip sighed again and his eyes fluttered shut.

Shoutaro surged up in response, catching Philip’s lips into a heated, heady kiss. Nibbling, nipping, biting, all gentle as can be yet each action caused his heart to seize. Their mouths separated barely a moment before Philip heard himself mewl in encouragement. Shoutaro kissed him again, unable to resist. Philip moaned in approval.

It was pure bliss.

Eager for more, Philip opened his lips and Shoutaro took the offer.

His partner tasted like sweet victory.

So they kissed again. And again. And again. 

Each time longer and softer until they finally slowed down, conscious of their faltering breaths and racing hearts. Philip had to bite back a whine, however, feeling greedy for more.

Somehow aware of his partner’s desires, Shoutaro chuckled, pressing chaste kisses all over Philip’s face.

Ready to burst with sudden euphoria, Philip tried to catch Shoutaro’s lips again while they went from his cheeks to his eyelids to his forehead. He did whine when Shoutaro leaned back in his seat, very much wanting to continue.

“You can’t just stop there!”

Shoutaro laughed and Philip vowed to hear that sound every day of his life.

“Come to bed with me, and I’ll show you what else your symptoms can lead to.”

Intrigued, Philip accepted the offer.

(And Shoutaro did show him. Numerous times. Thoroughly.)

**_Fin._ ** ****

**Author's Note:**

> Let's assume they went at it like rabbits. Also, that they eventually remembered the food cooling downstairs. >.>
> 
> My tumblr is frozenmarvel. Come on by and say hi!


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